


Anchor

by GalileoJones



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angry Michael, Geoff and Griffon are Gavin's god parents, Lindsay Bashing, M/M, Minor Character Death, Sorry Not Sorry, gavin is gay but doesnt tell anyone, gavin is happy until he's not, michael is a dad, michael is just trying, sad gavin past, single dad, soft michael, teen dad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-05 15:54:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13391175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalileoJones/pseuds/GalileoJones
Summary: Gavin is liked by many but none of them are his friends.Michael is angry and is just trying.When Gavin get's accepted into a college level course, even though he is in high school, he is over the moon excited. He knows this class will make a huge difference in his future but he doesn't realize just how much. The day a new student shows up with an angry face and a note saying he has to be there until further notice is when everything changes.Michael has been through a lot of shit. He just wants to sleep and maybe play a video game. His life doesn't allow that, however. He has a secret that isn't really a secret, he just doesn't tell anyone about it. What he's been hiding from everyone is huge but Michael has managed to put up thick secure walls up around him to keep him safe. It's going to take someone with a huge personality to be able to knock them down.So, the day he's forced to sit next to the kid with the spiky hair and introduces himself with a thousand watt smile, he knows just one thing. He is fucked.





	1. Gavin gets accepted

Gavin Free was like a warm glowing light that could walk and talk. Every person he passed couldn’t help but smile when they saw him. It wasn’t that he was super popular or won the “Sexiest Man Alive” title. No, it was this special kind of unique joy the teenager always carried with him. Anyone within a hundred foot radius could easily be affected by his warm positive nature. 

However, no matter the amount of joy Gavin was, he was equally annoying. People truly did rejoice in being around him, but it would only be a short reunion with large gaps in between. Before they knew it the pleasant feelings would fade and Gavin’s true colours would show. 

The annoyance others found in him wasn’t because he was a bad person. He was a well behaved teenager who prefered video games, film, and all things science. Rather than going to parties, running a muck, and being nothing but reckless. What made him annoying, amongst a few other things, was the fact that his main interests were the only things he ever talked about.

_ “Hey, Gavin! How’s it going?” _

_ “Great! Just bought myself a new 3-78 Hard Drive. Took a while to save up for but I know it’ll be worth it in the long run.” _

_ “Ok.” _

He could easily be classified as a nerd and many did take it upon themselves to make sure he knew it. He actually had more enemies than friends. Which wasn’t hard to achieve since he only had a couple to begin with. Acquaintance was as far as it got most of the time. No one ever asked him to hang out after school, or picked him first for their team in gym. Not even his actual friends would pick him first. Gavin never minded, however. He was always just happy to be there, and to enjoy the game or whatever the day asked for. 

The only place he was the first choice was in his Science and media classes. He was basically fought over for each lab partner project, and that was only because he was the smartest kid in the class. Which he also knew and didn’t mind all too much either. It felt nice to be wanted. 

His media class was another story, though. Because of who his “father” was, his peers always wanted to be in his group. They knew that there would be a chance to get bonus tips and tricks to finish their projects, and if they were lucky enough they’d be able to use real equipment rather than the cruddy school cameras and computers. Gavin wasn’t too fond of that. He didn’t mind being used for his brain, but when it came to his family. He’d rather work alone than let them be used too.

 

* * *

When Gavin checked his email the evening that marked a week before school started, he’d not been prepared to find not one but two very important new messages in his inbox. The first email was his schedule for the new school year, and although he’d been waiting for it the excitement was overshadowed the moment he read the subject line for the second email;  _ Regarding Application. _ He knew exactly what that was and his heartbeat sped up with a rush of anxiety mixed with natural adrenaline. The contents of that email would change a lot of things for Gavin. Until that very moment he’d been praying for the word  _ Congratulations _ to be somewhere within the contents of the email. But as he sat in front of his computer biting his lower lip anxiously he wasn’t sure what he hoped for most. Accepted or rejected. 

As soon as the British teen clocked on the message his doubts and worries were out the window. He literally jumped out of his computer chair with gratified joy. The excited screeching noises he made sounded something between a gleeful child and raging Pterodactyl.

He flung himself onto his bed after he settled down and printed out his full schedule. Gavin pulled out his phone and opened the camera app to snap a picture of his schedule, he then texted it to his friends.

**_Gavin-o to LADS:_ ** _ Guess who got into College level intro to Physics :-) _

Gavin pressed send then fall backwards to lay down properly stretched out on his bed. While he waited for replies he read through his entire schedule. It wasn’t long till his phone vibrated on his chest.

**_Tyrannosaurus Ray to LADS:_ ** _ Duuuuuuude _

Gavin laughed when he read Ray’s text to him. He typed back a reply at the same time his other friend messaged.

**_Gavin-o to LADS:_ ** _ This will look so good on my transcripts! _

**_Treco to LADS:_ ** _ Way to go, Gav! _

**_Tyrannosaurus Ray to LADS:_ ** _ Gavin ur such a loser. Be like the rest of us  & want it only for the end of term field trip _

**_Treco to LADS:_ ** _ Hey now Ray, if Gavin wants to use the class for the academical purpose it’s meant for, then we should let him do it. _

**_Gavin-o to LADS:_ ** _ Thanks Trev! _

**_Treco to LADS:_ ** _ Besides, it’s not like we’ll be in the class with him so we won’t have to pretend not to know him _

**_Gavin-o to LADS:_ ** _ Hey! _

**_Tyrannosaurus Ray to LADS:_ ** _ HA! Got ‘em _

“Gavin, dinner!” Gavin looked up towards his closed bedroom door when he heard his name. He got up and sat at the edge of his bed then called back.

“Okay! Be right down!” He went back to his phone to say goodbye to his friends.

**Gavin-o to LADS:** You guys are arseholes. But I gotta go for dinner. Talk later!

**Treco to LADS:** Alright, ttyl!

**Tyrannosaurus Ray to LADS:** See ya

Gavin sent back a waving emoji then locked his phone and placed it on his bedside table. A smile crept back onto his face when he remembered the email. It was silly for him to be so excited but he couldn’t help himself. He just had a good feeling about it and besides, with this class, regardless of the fun his friends poked at him, it would truly look fantastic on his record.

The British teen left his room and headed downstairs where his parents, Geoff and Griffon, were finishing up with setting the table.

“Hey, Gav” Griffon greeted him when he walked into the dining room. Gavin smiled and followed her into the kitchen to help bring out the last of the meal.

“Sorry, I was talking to Ray and Trevor.” He apologized and set the bowl of steamed vegetables beside the plate of grilled chicken breast. The three sat down in their usual spots, Geoff at the head with the other two on either side of him. The three other seats stayed empty. Why they bought such a big table, they’d never know.

“Those nerds again?” Geoff replied. Gavin laughed as he scooped rice onto his plate.

“I was telling them that I got my schedule finally.” Gavin passed the rice to Griffon in exchange for the vegetables.

Griffon warmly smiled at him the way she always did when talking with her family. Even if Gavin wasn’t biologically theirs, she had always treated him as such from the moment he entered their home.

“I’m glad you finally got it, sweetie. What classes did you get?” Gavin felt his heart race again but he tried to hide the smile with licking his lips. Geoff noted that and raised his left eyebrow confused at the odd action. He decided to not ask and instead wait for his godson to answer.

“My first period is English, then I have Media-“ Gavin was cut off by Geoff reaching out to high five him.

“Alright!” He congratulated. Gavin grinned. Geoff’s job was nothing typical, but it did center around film and media related work. He and his college friends had started their own company not long after graduating. It all started with a Halo parody and only progressed from there. What was once a small organized meeting in one of the guy’s apartments had grown to a fairly sized building in downtown Austin.

Geoff put chicken on all their plates and Gavin thanked him then continued sharing his schedule, “Next I have math, and after that I have my lunch hour.”

He took a moment to contain himself again rather than blurting with overwhelming excitement, “Then my last class is CLIP.”

Gavin started eating his meal as if what he said not only made sense, but wasn’t a big deal either. (Even though he was still screaming like a Pterodactyl inside.) The two adults stopped what they were doing for a moment to share a confused glance with each other. 

Geoff was the one to ask what they were both wondering, “So uh...What’s CLIP?”

Gavin looked up to them with a neutral expression and shrugged. He casually rolled a piece of broccoli around on his plate with his fork as he said, “Oh nothing. It’s only….College-Level Intro to Physics.”

He paused for a moment to let it sink in. Geoff and Griffon looked at each other again with the same confused expression again but then it dawned on them. The two of them turned back to Gavin with matching smiles. Gavin, too, was grinning from ear to ear.

“Do you mean?” Griffon asked. Gavin nodded.

“So you got in?” Geoff added for clarification. Gavin nodded even harder than before.

“Yes!” He all but jumped out of his seat and screamed. All three shared high-fives across the table. Geoff even went as far as to reach over and rustle Gavin’s moppy hair.

“Way to go, bud!” He congratulated. Griffon got up and circled the table to give him a hug.

“I’m so proud of you!” She pulled back from the embrace and put her hands on either side of Gavin’s face, “See? You had nothing to worry about. They obviously loved your essay as much as we did!” 

She kissed him on the forehead then went back to her seat. Gavin smiled softly at her kind words.

“Thanks, Griffon.” He said with a genuine tone. She smiled back at him.

“So is there any special supplies we need to get?” Geoff asked once everyone had settled down. Gavin ate a piece of chicken and chewed slowly as he thought back to the full email.

“I just need a binder specifically for that class, and a calculator. But the teacher’s note said we won’t need that until half way the semester. He’ll send out a notice when the time comes.” Gavin explained. Geoff nodded along, even though they all knew that he would not remember any of that anyways.

“Sounds good,” Griffon said, “Just let us know when you want to go and we can make a trip downtown to get the supplies.”

“Thanks, you guys. I’m really excited for this opportunity.” Gavin spoke with that same genuine tone and honest smile as before. Geoff gave him a lopsided grin.

“We’re excited for you too, Gav.”

 

* * *

The next day the Ramsey-Free trio headed out to buy Gavin all his school supplies. Even though the teen planned to only get basic stuff, Geoff insisted they were buying the coolest and top of the line supplies available. So, instead of the simple plastic blue or black binders and number 2 yellow pencils that Gavin originally had in the cart, he ended up leaving with three five star-brand binders, all of which were different colours, mechanical pencils, the smoothest ballpoint pens anyone could buy, and pencil cases with the coolest designs they could find. Even the paper they had bought was the good stuff.

_ None of that flimsy five cent shit!  _ Is what Geoff had said, which made Gavin laugh. 

He was extremely grateful for the supplies and had promised to pay them back as soon as he could. Geoff had just waved him off and said, “Just graduate with good grades and we’ll call it even.”

Gavin had never agreed to an easier deal in his life.

 

* * *

 

The following week was full of preparations and attempting to put sleep schedules back on track. The day Gavin had gotten all his school supplies, Geoff had insisted again that they go buy him a few new outfits for school. Again, Gavin had tried to deny the offer, but the older man was persistent.

He’d made the argument that this would be the first school year Gavin wouldn’t be purchasing a school uniform so it only made sense to get some  _ snazzy new threads  _ to start the year off with. The teen had argued back that he’d gone to school last year without a uniform and just wore his regular clothes, but Geoff wouldn’t hear of it.  _ It’s not the same thing _ , he’d said and eventually Gavin gave in.

He stared down at his bed at all the new clothes laid out so he could choose his outfit for the next day. He was torn between dark blue skinnies or the black trousers, and what about the T-shirt? If he wore the blue skinnies he’d have to wear the black pocket tee that had a cat hidden in it. If he wore the trousers, though, he’d wear the dark green Minecraft shirt that had a creeper head on it. The dilemma he was having was that he wanted to wear the dark blue skinnies, but also the Minecraft shirt. But they didn’t go together. 

Gavin sighed and scratched his head. He was pulled from his predicament when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” Gavin answered. He glanced up when the door open and Geoff’s head popped in.

“How’s it going?” He asked. Gavin crossed his arms and huffed out a breath.

“I narrowed it down to two but I can’t decide which one.” Geoff walked into the room fully and came around to stand next to Gavin. He scratched the stubble along his neck as he looked over the options.

“If you wear that one,” He pointed at the blue jeans and black tee, “What will you wear over-top?”

Gavin hummed as he looked around the room to see where he left his new and old sweaters. He spotted them draped over his computer chair.

“Here we go,” he said as he walked over and picked them up one by one and tossed them aside if he didn’t think it worked. Finally he settled on two basic hoodies, one was a light blue pullover and the other was a black zip up.

“Definitely the jeans and the black sweater.” Geoff said immediately when he saw the options.

Gavin nodded and looked up to Geoff.

“I think you’re right.” He said completely seriously. Geoff was about to say something else when there was another knock at the door but since it was partially opened Griffon entered anyways. She looked back and forth to the clothes and the two guys with a questioning expression.

“What’s going on here?” She asked. Gavin and Geoff looked at each other then back to Griffon and said simultaneously,  _ Outfit picking _ . Griffon couldn’t help but laugh at the serious faces and tone her two boys had.

“Okay, well I just came to say goodnight.” She crossed the room to where the guys were standing and gave Gavin a hug, which he returned, and kissed his forehead.

“Goodnight. And good luck tomorrow!” She smiled then turned to leave. Before she closed the door behind her she called over her shoulder,

“Oh and I’d go with the blue sweater.” Then she left and closed the door.

The two stared at the wooden door for a moment before turning back to the sweaters in Gavin’s hands.

“She was definitely right.” He said nodding his head. Geoff joined the motion and took the black sweater and tossed it back on the computer chair.

“Totally.” It was silent for another moment then the two burst out laughing.

“Oh man, okay. Well, now that’s all sorted, get ready for bed. It’s an early day tomorrow!” Geoff said as he walked back to the door to leave. 

Gavin went about cleaning up his clothes and exploded backpack, but made sure to leave out the chosen outfit on his desk for an easy morning the next day.

“Thanks for the help” Gavin said as he walked over towards the older man. Geoff shrugged and opened the door. 

“No problem, that’s what dads are for, aren’t they?” Gavin smiled again, although there was a slight sadness to it. Geoff noticed it and matched the expression. He placed a hand on Gavin’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

“I’m happy to help.” He said. Gavin nodded but said nothing more. He and Geoff left his room and parted ways in the hallway, Gavin headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, and Geoff went downstairs where he heard Griffon putting away dishes in the dishwasher.

Gavin made quick work with getting ready for bed and before he knew it he was laying in bed and turning his lamp off to go to sleep. When he woke up the next day it was going to be the start of something new and different. He wasn’t sure what the feeling meant exactly, but he knew it was going to be good.

* * *


	2. Ray Yells at Dots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Gavin’s first day of school. What could possibly go wrong? Or maybe go right?

The next morning Gavin had woken up well before his alarm. Rather than going back to sleep for the next hour, he took full advantage of the extra time by taking a shower and not rushing with getting ready.

  
By the time he was downstairs with his backpack and new shoes in hand, Geoff had woken up and was sitting at the island with a cup of coffee in hand. His hair was sticking out in all directions and his clothes had that freshly rolled-out-of-bed wrinkle to them. Gavin laughed to himself at the image of his godfather. He placed his stuff on the dining room table and headed for the fridge to collect snacks and something for breakfast.

  
Geoff had his head hanging down slightly and his eyes were closed. Gavin swore he even heard the tiniest hint of a snore pass through the older man’s nose. Gavin smirked and opened the fridge to grab some fruit and a juice box to throw in his backpack. He made sure to slam the door shut with more force than usual, causing the classic oomf sound followed by the jingle of glass bottle condiments bumping against each other. The sudden noise made Geoff snap his head back up and sit straight as if he hadn’t been falling asleep into his morning coffee.

  
“Wh-wha-“ Geoff looked around to find the source of the sound but found a smirking teen leaning against the adjacent counter instead.

  
“Gavin! I was just about to wake you up.” Geoff’s eyes widened suddenly and he lifted his arm up to look at a watch that wasn’t there.

  
“Oh fuck! Are we late?”

  
Gavin wanted to tease him by making him think they were behind schedule. Geoff was sure to freak out and run around the house like a chicken with it’s head cut off, which the teen knew would have been hilarious. However, he also knew that if he did then they could have ended up late for real. Instead he just laughed and shook his head.

  
“I woke before my alarm went off.” He explained simply, although his eyes danced with pride for his so far successful morning.

  
Geoff stifled a yawn. He took a drink of his lukewarm coffee, which made his face scrunch with disgust at the taste. He set it down then said, “I don’t understand how you’re able to function so early.”

  
Gavin shrugged then turned to pull out a bowl and spoon for cereal. Geoff took another sip of his beverage and made the same face. Why was he still drinking that?

  
“Aren’t most teenagers supposed to be tired and cranky in the morning?” Geoff asked. He got up and walked around the island to pour his sad excuse for coffee down the drain. Gavin grabbed milk from the fridge and faced his pseudo-dad.

  
“I think by now you should know that I am not most teenagers.” He replied pointedly.

  
Geoff considered his words for a moment then shrugged sleepily and went back to the bar stool he was sitting on before.

  
“Touché.”

  
Gavin spooned a mouthful of cereal into his mouth and grinned. Geoff huffed and gave up with sitting. He slumped down to lay his head on his arms crossed on the table. Gavin shook his head at the older man, sometimes he wondered how he was the teenager and Geoff was the adult.

 

* * *

  
As soon as Gavin arrived at school he went straight to the only room he could call a home away from home. The computer lab.

  
He was glad, although not very surprised, to find Ray and Trevor sitting side by side, both on a computer, in the back of the room. Trevor was browsing some website while Ray was yelling profanities at his screen. It had the game with the colourful dots on it. Gavin smiled and walked over to them.

  
“Hey guys!” He greeted them cheerly.  
Trevor glanced his way and said hello with a smile. Ray muttered a ‘Hey’ followed with _You FUCKING asshole! Don’t shoot your jizz all over me you bitch!_ If there was a teacher in the room they would have been kicked out for sure, but thankfully only a few other students were there and they seemed to be playing flash games as well. Gavin wasn’t worried.

  
“Have you made leaderboard yet, Ray?” Gavin took a seat next to Ray but faced his friends rather than the computer.

  
“No,” Ray huffed, “The bitch FistingFrenzy is still number one a-fucking-gain and won’t gIVE ANYONE ELSE A GOD DAMN CHANCE-HOLY SHIT RUSSIA. FUCK. OFF.”

Ray’s yelling only made Gavin, and now Trevor, laugh really hard. It was such a stupid game but easily got under their skin. Some nights hanging out had been dedicated to trying to reach the top of the world wide leaderboard. Ray was the only one who had come the closest at No. 5.

  
“This was him all last night too. After you left the call he had the worst luck. I don’t think he grew bigger than a penny. Then he blamed me for being bad luck.”

Trevor chuckled at the memory. He glanced up as if stuck in a cliche flashback, “Ah the memories.”

  
Gavin laughed at that then stood up from his chair, “Well, it’s been fun Lads. But I gotta check in with Mr. Benson about CLIP.”

  
“Hah, nerd.” Ray commented, though his focus was still on the game at hand.

Trevor tried not to smirk at that which was painfully obvious, Gavin didn’t mind, however.

  
“Alright, we’ll see you when we see you!” The tallest boy waved goodbye. Ray raised an eyebrow and added dramatically,

  
“Unless we don’t.”

  
Gavin couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that. He waved goodbye to his two friends and called ‘Later’ over his shoulder as he left the computer lab.

  
When Gavin finally found his last period classroom he frowned as he stared at the closed—and locked—door. The lights were even off. He huffed out a disappointed breath then turned to leave. Perhaps Mr. Benson only taught in the afternoon, considering the warning bell was going to off any moment.

  
_Oh well_ , Gavin thought, _I’ll just have to wait till the end of the day._

 

* * *

 

  
The first day was going by better than expected. In his English class they had played a “Get To Know Me” game after the teacher gave the new-class-orientation. Gavin was first paired with a girl he recognized from the previous year, he learned her name was Daina and she had a dog named Blue. He’d shared his own name and that he wanted to be a Scientist after graduation. When she asked him about his accent and if he was an exchange student, he had froze for a second. Thankfully his teacher had announced it was time to switch partners which saved him from anything further. He didn’t like talking about it.

  
His second class was Media, and just as expected when the teacher told them to get into groups almost everyone ran to him. Even though he had just moved to America only the previous year, news had travelled fast about who he was living with. Everyone knew who Geoff Ramsey was and what he did for a living.

  
Gavin was going to pick some people at random but the teacher interrupted and told the class she changed her mind. So, instead she explained that they’d try something new and work individually until she got a good idea for who her students were, then she’d pick the groups for them. Gavin wasn’t about to question the sudden change, it sounded better than a good idea to him.

  
His Math class was a bit interesting. He’d taken a seat in one of the desks closest to the windows. A few girls were sitting in front of him and chatted amongst themselves in hushed tones. One had even been leaning across the aisle to hear the whispers. Gavin wasn’t much for eavesdropping, if he were to count how many times he had intentionally done it he’d barely need one hand to do so, but he had overheard a few words that were said louder than the rest.

  
“Did you see him..”

  
“...Scary!”

  
“..heard he’s a gang m-“

  
“There he is!”

Gavin jumped slightly in his seat when the girl directly in front of him whisper-yelled and pointed at the classroom door. He’d moved on auto when he followed the invisible line to the entrance where a boy was walking in. The appearance of the guy had Gavin’s eyes locked on him as he walked across the room.

He’d snapped his head down to stare at his unopened binder (the orange one of the several Geoff had bought him) when the guy walked straight to his row and passed himself and the girls to sit in the back. 

Through his eyelashes Gavin could see the three girls not-so-subtly turn their heads to stare back at the guy.

  
The thing wasn’t that he was dirty or scary, well...he did have an angry face on. Gavin made a mental reminder not to ever get on the bad side of that look.  
What was so shocking was the fact that the teen looked like he’d been tossed around in a dryer for a few cycles. His hair was stuffed under a green beanie with a few chunks sticking out all over. His clothes were wrinkled and looked like they’d been in a pile on the floor prior to being put on. The most defiant feature was the dark bags under the guy’s eyes. His glasses hid some of it but Gavin could tell the guy didn’t know what the definition of sleep was.

  
“They’re saying he’s from New York and was kicked out of school then sent here to straighten himself out.”

  
Gavin was brought back by the girl in front of him talking to her friends again, but this time they weren’t trying as hard to whisper unlike before.

  
“I heard he tried to kill himself on school property!”

  
Gavin had to refrain from gasping at that. Regardless of it being true or not, that was not something to make light of or spread around, especially on the case it might not be true.

  
“I’d believe it. The guy looks like he’s given up.”

  
The teacher conveniently walked in just as Gavin felt the urge to say something bubble up. For the rest if the class none of the girls said anything else. The only unusual thing was that at the end of the period the mystery boy was the first to leave.

 

* * *

 

  
At Lunch hour Gavin went straight to the cafeteria and found his friends sitting at a table near the back of the room. He got in line to get something to eat then headed over to join Trevor and Ray.

  
“Howdy, Fellow Americans” Gavin greeted them in his best (worst) American accent. He set his tray down beside Ray who was staring at him with disgust.

  
“Don’t ever do that again.” Ray said, “You accent is dumb but your American accent is even dumber.”

  
Gavin pouted and Trevor snorted laughter, “Let’s not be hasty with the comments, I’m sure Gav has a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why he decided to be a low IQ country bumpkin tryin’ ta be part of tha fancy city folk!”

  
Trevor’s accent had quickly turned “Alabama backcountry” which caused Ray to burst out laughing and high fived him across the table. Gavin stared at his friends with slight slack-jaw.

  
“I hate both of you.” He huffed. He then stabbed angrily at the macaroni on his plate. He wasn’t really mad, and both of his fellow Lad’s knew it.

  
“Hey did you hear about the new kid?” Trevor changed the subject. Ray took a large bite from his pizza and nodded.

  
“Mhm! Heard -got kicked m-outta Jumvie” Ray replied. Gavin looked at Ray with furrowed brows. Partially for the fact that Ray was talking with food in his mouth—again—and also because he knew who they were talking about. Juvie would make the third rumour he’d heard about the guy that day already.

  
Trevor leaned forward and spoke in a hushed tone, “Some guys in my History class said they overheard some teachers say he almost OD’d in the school bathroom. Apparently his parents kicked him out and he hitchhiked to Texas from the East Coast.”

  
Gavin didn’t say anything in response to either of the rumours. He wasn’t sure why but none of what anyone was saying was sitting right with him. He didn’t know the guy personally but the short moment he’d saw him in his Math class, and the fact that during the hour he could hear him taking notes, told him that the rumours didn’t add up. Sure, he had a bit of an angry face and a ‘don’t talk to me’ vibe, but who didn’t these days? The world wasn’t some perfect wonderland. Gavin just felt like no one was giving him the same chance he got when he first moved to America.

  
Ray took another bite of pizza but this time he swallowed before speaking, “On my way over here Barb said she and a few of the other cheerleaders saw him run out of the school after 3rd.”

  
Gavin knew who Barb was, they weren’t close friends but she was never mean to him. He also knew that she wasn’t a liar or believed in dumb rumours, so it had to be true. Ray took a drink from his chocolate milk then continued with a shrug,

  
“Maybe he had enough and is taking off again.”

  
Trevor hummed in agreement since he was chewing a piece of apple. From then on Gavin tuned them out, he didn’t want to feed into the rumours, not until he knew something was true for sure.

  
Once their lunch hour was over the three said their goodbyes they headed off in seperate directions. The entire walk from the cafeteria to his locker, Gavin couldn’t get the boy from math class out of his head. Maybe he should try to talk to him and find out some truth to his story. He might even get a friend out of it. 

 

Whatever the case Gavin knew he had to get over it, besides it was now time for his Physics class and he didn’t want to ruin it by worrying about some guy he didn’t even know. When he reached his locker he was pretty much vibrating with happiness and anticipation. He’d been looking forward to this moment for-what seemed like-ever. Not only was it challenging work, but also a double block of proper education.

  
After he got the specific binder--this one was green--he practically ran to the science section of the school.

 

* * *

 

  
The moment Gavin entered the room it was like entering another world. Instead of the school desks he was used to, there were rows of two person tables that were high off the ground, they had bar stools for chairs. Each table had tubes and nozzles coming out of them. Gavin assumed those were for Chemistry and Biology, either way he was excited.

  
On the back wall was a display case containing items that ranged from bird eggs to robot arms. Beside the case was a door with the word **CAUTION** above it in big bold letters. On the door itself it had

  
_Chemical Room  
**NO STUDENTS BEYOND THIS POINT**_

  
Gavin wasn’t sure why but he had the sudden urge to go in there. He obviously wouldn’t...but the urge...

  
Not a lot of other students were in the room yet. A few were sprinkled amongst the rows of tables, each focused on either their books or cellphones. Gavin made his way past the first few rows and chose an empty table in middle left side closest to the windows. He always prefered sitting near windows. Even back when he lived in England. Something about seeing the outdoors helped him concentrate on his work. When he’d get stumped on a question all it took was a moment's glance outside to clear his head and think better.

  
It wasn’t long until the warning bell rang and the rest of the students, including the teacher, flooded in from the hallway. Gavin watched the tables fill up with students either alone or with friends choose their spot. Not one of them chose to sit next to him, though. He surveyed the room and noted that every single seat was taken except the one beside him. Normally Gavin would have frowned and questioned why no one wanted to be his desk buddy, but inside he was jumping for joy. He was more than okay with working alone. Preferred it even.

  
The teacher, Mr. Benson, stood up in front of the room. He was a middle aged man with graying brown hair, his square glasses sat perched on his nose, his cheeks and jaw were covered with slight stubble, and he dressed in brown plaid tucked into tan dress pants. He definitely fit the part of a typical science teacher. He cleared his throat to get the student’s attention.

  
“Good afternoon class, Welcome to College Level Intro to Physics.”

 

* * *

 

The class was going absolutely top, according to Gavin. After the introduction and orientation their teacher gave they dove head first into note taking which was much more enjoyable than expected. Gavin concluded that was due to the good paper Geoff insisted they buy. Mr. Benson walked back and forth in front of the class as he clicked a remote to change the slides projecting on the whiteboard. He explained each thing in great detail that Gavin absorbed like a dry sponge.

  
The teen was halfway through writing down bullets from the fifth slide when there was a knock at the door. As if it were rehearsed, the entire class looked up simultaneously and watched as it slowly opened to reveal a boy with messy hair barely held down by a green beanie, and a freckled face that Gavin was convinced was stuck with that angry expression.

  
Gavin’s face turned confused, he wasn’t one to judge but regardless of the rumours he’d heard, this guy really didn’t look like the type to sign up for college level courses in high school. Then again, Ray didn’t look like the type to fit 70 grapes in his mouth, yet he’d proved that a few weeks prior.

  
“Can I help you?” Mr. Benson asked. The teenager closed the door behind him and held out a note.

  
“I’m supposed to give this to you.” The guy said with a much scratchier (yet smooth?) voice than Gavin was expecting. By then the rest of the class had lost interest and started talking amongst themselves.

  
Mr. Benson took the note and read it over. He hummed a noise that didn’t have any specific answer to it then turned away from the guy to walk to his desk. He picked up the phone and dialed.

  
“Yes, Hello Doreen. I have Mr. Jones here.” He paused a moment to listen then said, “Yes, I understand but you do realize this is a special class students have to be accepted into?”

  
Another pause. Gavin watched as the kid stuffed his hands in his pocket, with a notebook held under his arm, and stared at the floor.

  
“Just until Friday then? Alright, thank you Doreen.” Mr. Benson hung up the phone and addressed the teen again.

  
“So you’ll be here until Friday unless they find a class with room. There was a mix up with your schedule and they’re trying to fix it.” He explained. The guy looked up, his facial expression still didn’t change.

  
“Well I could have told you that.” He rolled his eyes.

  
“Excuse me?”

  
The guy sighed then looked at his temporary teacher, “Sorry. Thanks for the info.”

  
Mr. Benson pursed his lips but refrained from saying anything further on the boy’s attitude. He went back to his desk to grab the remote and waved the boy away.

  
“Go find a seat.”

  
The guy didn’t say anything in response. Gavin had been half listening and half reading over his notes during the entire exchange. It wasn’t until the guy got a few feet from his table did he remember that he was the only one with an empty seat. Gavin kept his head down when he sat down on the stool with an audible huff.

  
The british teen swallowed hard. He’s just another person. Don’t psych yourself with rumours. With a silent deep breath Gavin gathered the courage to turn to the guy and offer him a smile.

  
“Hello, I’m Gavin.” He had to stop himself from holding out a hand to shake. That would have been too much.

  
The guy gave him a sideways glance, although it was more glare than anything else. Gavin wasn’t about to hold his breath for the guy, after a few seconds of silence he figured the look was all he was going to get so he turned back to his notes. However, moments later Gavin’s focus on notes was interrupted by a voice from beside him,

  
“Michael.”

Gavin looked over with a questioning eyebrow, having already forgotten he’d prompted for the guy’s name not even five minutes earlier. The guy, Michael, rolled his eyes then repeated with clarification.

“My name, it’s Michael.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven’t figured out a posting schedule yet...I will eventually though!
> 
> The next chapter will be up within the next week! In it we learn a bit more about the angry boy with freckles and curls.


	3. Gavin and Michael Reflect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin reflects on the first week of school  
> Michael reflects on the new school and who this Gavin guy thinks he is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. I'm going to try for weekly updates. Sorry this is late-ish...
> 
> ANYWAYS  
> i forgot to mention that the title of this story is a song by Mindy Gledhill and you should totally check it out. Very relevant to the story (and mavin)
> 
> Happy Reading!

Gavin was enjoying himself at school. Everything had been going great, his classes were fun and interesting. His CLIP class was going better than expected. He and his friends had somehow gotten closer than ever. Things were good. Except...there was one thing that the British teen wasn’t able to shake. One person had made himself at home in the back of Gavin’s brain.

Michael Jones. The mysterious angry kid that he shared Math with, and temporarily Physics. On the first day he showed up to his CLIP class, and again every day until Friday, Gavin had tried his best to get to know Michael. Although difficult at first, the other boy started to warm up to him. They were nowhere near friends yet, at least according to everyone but Gavin, but they were on a first name basis and that was a start. By Friday Michael had even started to return some of Gavin’s smiles. Not every single one, though. There were a lot of them and Michael was only one person.

However, the following Monday was when things got weird. During Math class, they had been interrupted by a phone call. Gavin hadn’t heard what was said but after their teacher hung up the phone and asked for Michael to go to the office, he wished he had listened in.

Michael had run out of the room faster than Ray did on Taco Wednesday to the cafeteria. It wasn’t long after he left did the room started buzzing with gossip and theories for the emergency. Gavin didn’t pay attention to them after he’d heard a boy in the row next to him whisper to his friends;  _ “Bet you $5 his real daddy showed up to drag his ass back to Jersey where he belongs.  _ The British teen felt a wave of concern wash over him. Even though he was still getting to know the guy he hoped everything was okay. He’d planned to let Michael copy his notes talk to him in their last class.

Last class came and went but Michael never showed. Gavin half expected to see him sitting at their table when he arrived, but both seats were empty. Throughout the class Gavin kept glancing at the closed door, waiting for it to open to reveal the boy with the freckled scowl. Yet, he never did.

At the end of the day, Gavin had stayed behind to speak to Mr. Benson. He asked if Michael Jones was moved to another class, but his teacher shook his head and said he’d heard no news about the situation and had presumed Michael would be there that day. Gavin felt troubled with this information. Perhaps the emergency during Math class was as bad as the other students had said.

The walk home was full of questions and thinking from Gavin. Not only did he wonder what had happened to the mystery that was Michael Jones, but also the fact that he cared so much. He barely knew the guy, only a few times did they exchange words over the first week.

_ Gavin was almost done the last question on his math worksheet when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He’d glanced back to see Michael staring at him with his typical blank expression. _

_ “Yeah?” Gavin asked in a hushed tone. _

_ “Do you uh...have a pencil sharpener?” asked Michael just as quietly. Gavin’s instinct was to say ‘there’s a classroom one by the door,’ but it was his eyes that made him think again. Although Michael’s face was neutral, his eyes said something else. Almost pleading in a way. _

_ Gavin didn’t ask what was wrong, he just nodded and unzipped his pencil case to pulled out a blue sharpener, that had its own shavings case attached to it. When he turned back to the desk behind him, he caught a glimpse of the classroom sharpener and noticed one of the three girls who sat in front of him was using it. ‘Oh. Interesting.’ _

_ Gavin handed it to Michael who took it and offered a tight lip smile. He made quick work to sharpen his pencil, which Gavin noted was a few sharpens away from being only an inch long. _

_ When Michael tried to hand it back to Gavin, the other boy just smiled and waved it off, “Keep it. I have four more at home and two in my locker.” _

_ Michael didn’t say anything but his face said: “What the fuck?” Gavin laughed nervously and licked his lips. _

_ “It’s uh...it’s a long story.” He figured Michael wouldn’t care much to hear the real reason. _

_ “Oh, well thanks...I guess.” Michael stuck the sharpener into his pocket then went back to his worksheet. Gavin smiled at him, even though his head was down and couldn’t see it. _

 

* * *

_ Gavin entered his CLIP class with an extra skip to his step. He’d been looking forward to his last class all day and it was finally time. The reason he was more happy than usual had to do with the bundle of papers he held in his hands safely secured in a blue duo-tang (his favourite colour of course).The previous night he’d stayed up later than normal preparing for the day, making sure to take extra care with writing out those papers. _

_ His smile broadened when he saw Michael sitting at their table. The other boy had his head down on the table rested on crossed arms. He’d gone without his usual beanie that day so his curly auburn hair was much more visible than normal. Gavin didn’t totally hate it. _

_ He waltzed over to the shared table and slapped the duo-tang down on the hard surface. Michael slightly jumped at the sound and lifted his head to see what had caused it. Gavin noted that Michael looked much more tired than he had in their math class. Perhaps he’d had a late night too and it had finally caught up with him _

_ “Is there a reason why you look like the green monster from Yo Gabba Gabba?” Michael asked. He sat up and tried to crack his back. _

_ Gavin looked at him confused, “I have no idea what that means. But if it means happy then this is the reason!” _

_ He pushed the duo-tang over to Michael, who just looked confused and annoyed. _

_ “What the fuck is this?” _

_ Gavin opened the book, completely unphased by Michael’s tone, and pointed to the first page. _

_ “I copied all my notes for you so you won’t fall behind.” The British teen explained. He rounded the table and set his backpack on the stool so he could pull out his binder and pencil case. Michael slid the duo-tang in front of him and flipped through the pages (even though there were only 7 in total). _

_ “You do realize I’m not staying in this class, right? This is only temporary,” Michael closed then slid the booklet back to Gavin, “Thanks but no thanks.” _

_ Gavin frowned but moved it back in front of Michael, “Yes, but on the off chance you do end up staying, I don’t want you to not have notes.” _

_ Michael looked at Gavin with a suspicious glare. He licked his lips then asked, “Why..?” _

_ Gavin only shrugged then sat down on the stool. He turned to Michael with a soft smile. _

_ “Because that’s what friends do. Just take it. The worst that’ll happen is you’re moved to another room and you throw it out.” _

_ “Fine.” Michael sighed then slipped the booklet underneath his own notebook. Gavin grinned content with his success. Maybe this will be the first step to learning more about Mysterious Michael. _

_ “And I’m not your friend.” _

_ Or maybe not. _

 

* * *

__

Gavin sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. He really had to get over this. If Michael wanted him or anyone to know then he’d tell him. There was no use in fretting over something he couldn’t do anything about. Even though deep down he wished he could do something. He didn’t even have Michael’s phone number to text him. Heck, he didn’t even know if Michael had a phone! The whole situation was ridiculous. Gavin was up in arms about a boy he truly didn’t know, no matter how much he wanted to.

With another sigh full of overwhelmed emotions, Gavin pulled out his phone and sent a text to his lads.

**_Gavin-o to LADS:_ ** _ Halo? _

**_Tyrannosaurus Ray to LADS:_ ** _ Obvi _

**_Gavin-o to LADS:_ ** _ :) _

**_Treco to LADS:_ ** _ sorry lads, ya boy Trev has got some chores and babysitting to do _

**_Gavin-o to LADS:_ ** _ :( _

**_Treco to LADS:_ ** _ <3 _

**_Gavin-o to LADS:_ ** _ </3 _

**_Tyrannosaurus Ray to LADS:_ ** _ lol u just got gay-jected _

Gavin snorted laughter at the text then shoved the phone in his pocket. Xbox and his friends were definitely what he needed to get over this whole Michael thing.

 

* * *

When Gavin got home he went straight to his bedroom. He knew Geoff wouldn’t be home until dinner time and the faint sound of a chainsaw told him that Griffon was out back, and Gavin knew not to interrupt her when she was in the art zone.

He tossed his backpack onto his computer chair then flung himself down onto his bed. He grabbed the controller he kept on his nightstand and started up the Xbox. He sent Ray a quick text that said  _ Home  _ then loaded up Halo since the disc was already in the console from the previous night.

Gavin hoped that Michael would be at school the next day. Maybe he’d find the courage to talk to him and offer his support if something bad had happened. Gavin knew making friends was difficult, especially at their high school, and Michael really didn’t seem to have a single one. Gavin wanted to be there for Michael, even though he didn’t know him all that well and the fact it was strange how drawn he felt to the guy, he didn't mind all that much. Gavin could dwell on that later, though. For now, he needed to kill some aliens and try to forget about the whole thing.

The thing was...the next day, Michael would not be returning to school.

 

* * *

He was an angry guy. That’s what everyone assumed at least since no one bothered to ask. He would come to school with his hood up and headphones in, he’d go straight to class and sit in the back. There was no way he wasn’t failing and it was obvious he didn’t care. He came because he had to, that was it. At lunch, no one saw him anywhere. He’d disappear for the entire forty-five minutes but was always on time for his next class. He was a mysterious guy.

At the beginning of the year, news travelled fast of the new kid in school. He was 16, average height and medium build -not buff yet not prawny- but that’s all anyone knew. He kept to himself most of the time, never really socialized with anyone willingly. Besides, even if anyone wanted to make the first move to introduce themselves, he never hung around long enough during breaks for them to try, and he always left immediately after school.

Everyone had their own story about the kid. Some said he came from New York, yanked right off the streets and sent to Austin Texas to live with a foster family. Others had darker stories, such as he was kicked out of his old school for trying to start a drug trade within the campus. No one had any facts, only theories and none of them ever checked out.

It was in math class, the second week of school when  _ everyone _ finally learned his name. The teacher received a phone call during a quick history lesson on Pythagoras. It was the secretary asking for Michael Jones to go straight to the office. Something about a family emergency, but that’s all the information the class could find out. Michael had run out of the room faster than the math teacher could hang up the phone. He didn’t return the next day. Or the day after that.

Michael’s sudden absence, and the little information the other students had formed a new rumour about the 16-year-old. Stories about his parents being murdered, or his had mother died from a terminal illness had surfaced and spread like wildfire.

When Michael returned to school he received many sympathetic looks but his unapproachable vibe made it so that’s all he ever got. He never questioned the looks or whispers either.

It wasn’t until a week later did things calm down and people found other interests. Michael was secretly glad he had eventually become old news. Even though he didn’t have it in him to care about the stares or whispers anyways, but it was still annoying as fuck.

There was only one person who didn’t treat him like everyone else. Gavin Free. Unlike everyone else, he smiled at him like he actually meant it, and he never engaged in the rumour whispers. On the first day of school, he’d even introduced himself without any prompting.

Michael wasn’t a very sociable person. He liked to keep his distance from people because sooner or later they’d turn around and stab you in the back. Or decided their selfish wants were more important than his own.

Gavin wasn’t like that. No, Gavin was the kind of guy that would bring a copy of notes for him even though Michael was only there temporarily.

Gavin would hold the door open for him and wish Michael a good weekend at the end of class.

He would give a sharpener for keeps because he had twelve more at home. Whatever that meant.

Michael wasn’t keen on making friends, nor was he good at it. However, the thought had crossed his mind that he didn’t think Gavin was going to give him a choice. To his surprise...he didn’t mind all that much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seriously. listen to the song. it will change your life and make you love mavin even more!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AWRHBHDVlQ

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! If you have any questions or comments (or just want a friendly chat) feel free to message me!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr or twitter!
> 
> Tumblr: GalileoJones  
> Twitter: Prosperonix


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